BMW EfficientDynamics, which reduces fuel consumption and CO₂ emissions without restricting driving excitement, has been awarded the first Green Steering Wheel award by readers of the prominent German newspaper “Bild am Sonntag”.

The paper is renowned for its annual Golden Steering Wheel award, but in 2007 has created an award to recognised advances in environmentally friendly vehicles and technology.

BMW CEO Dr. Norbert Reithofer was delighted to be the first person to receive this very special new trophy marking BMW’s outstanding efforts in this sector of the automobile industry.

Thanks to “EfficientDynamics” BMW vehicles sold in Europe are now featuring as standard a range of advanced consumption-optimising systems across models ranging from the BMW 1 Series to the BMW X5, as well as many MINI models. These include high-performance diesel engines, Brake Energy Regeneration, Auto Start Stop Function, active aerodynamics and intelligent lightweight construction.

These industry-leading technologies mean that 40 per cent of all new BMW Group vehicles sold throughout the European Union produce fewer than 140 grams of CO₂ per 100 km. By the end of this year, around 400,000 BMW vehicles registered in Europe will be fitted with EfficientDynamics technologies which have been in development over the past five years.